Business Profile

Airlines

Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd.

Headquarters

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

209 total complaints in the last 3 years.
68 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

Initial Complaint
Date:05/07/2024
Type:Billing Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I made a Virgin Atlantic account on July *********. On August 01, 2023 I transferred 100k Bilt rewards points to my Virgin Atlantic. On January 2nd, 2024 I made another transfer of ****** points to Virgin Atlantic. On January 15th, 2024, I used the points to book 2 flights each route from *** to FCO flying ITA and a flight from *** to ORD flying AirFrance. I paid $11.20 and $881.60 in taxes and fees, respectively. Originally I tried to book the flights online but due to an error I had to call to book the flight. On March 6th I purchased 2 flights from FCO to CDG using points plus $67.00 for taxes and fees. There was a discrepancy in my account, that even though my online attempt to purchase the flights did not go through, the points were removed and put me at a negative amount. The representative said he adjusted the numbers to show the true value of points in my account Fast forward to April 30th I fly from *** to FCO on the scheduled flight I booked. Then on May 6th, 2024 I noticed my flight was removed and I called Virgin Atlantic **************** but my account was suspended due to fraud so I had to email their fraud department.May 7th I received an email accusing me of illegally obtaining the points I used to book my flights and therefore froze my account and canceled my flights from FCO to CDG and from CDG to ORD leaving me stranded in *******I sent them proof of me transferring my points from my own personal credit cards but received no help and stating once again they will not reactivate my account nor get my flights back After a back and forth, the fraud department said that they can not verify my account and will not reactivate my account without ever asking for other documents for evidence nor offering additional ways to get my flights back. Instead they told me to contact my legal team and to file a report with the BBB and ADR Let me know if theres anymore information I can provide
Business Response
Date: 05/08/2024
Hello *****, thank you so much for reaching out to ***

Im so sorry to hear your booking and *********** was suspended due to suspected fraud.

I completely understand your frustration sadly as much as I want to assist I will not be able to look into this for you however please email **************************************************** and they will be able to assist further .

Many thanks
**********;

Customer Care
Customer Answer
Date: 05/10/2024

Complaint: 21676529

I am rejecting this response because: I have tried multiple times to contact that email. I keep getting the same generic response.

Sincerely,

***********************
Business Response
Date: 05/10/2024
Thank you for getting back in touch with us.

Please could you provide us with your *********** account number so that I can investigate this further for you.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/10/2024

Complaint: 21676529

My flying club: 1095130884
*******************************: 109957576
Our accounts were closed and flights canceled during the middle of our trip for an unclear reason. Something about fraudulently obtaining points but the points came from my personal Bilt credit card

Sincerely,

***********************
Business Response
Date: 05/14/2024
Thank you for your patience while we looked into this further for you and appreciate you providing the information.

I can see that the *********** account ********** is currently being audited. Unfortunately,there is nothing further that we can advise, you will need to continue reaching out to ******************************************************

I appreciate that this has left you frustrated so far, please be assured that our loyalty team have a process in place and will treat all customers fairly and consistently and fully investigate the matter.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/14/2024

Complaint: 21676529

I am rejecting this response because: the fraud department has been 0 help and wont explain why the froze my account. Ive emailed them multiple times and have even made new email threads to just get the same generic response

Sincerely,

***********************
Business Response
Date: 05/15/2024
Hello **********;

I am so very sorry to hear that your remain unhappy with our previous responses.

I also want to apologise for the upset caused by the Loyalty Fraud Team's lack of reasoning behind the account suspension.

As my colleagues have explained, this not something we are able to discuss further and all communication regarding the suspension must be through the Loyalty Fraud Team. I would advise you to reach out to them directly at **************************************************** should you remain unhappy with their decisions or responses.

Sadly, there is nothing further we are able to do to assist and I do apologise I was not able to offer a more favourable response.

Kind regards

Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:05/02/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a flight through Priceline.com on 8/30/323. Unfortunately, due to the war on October 7th, 2023 in ******, my flight had to be cancelled. I have reached Priceline along with Virgin Atlantic these entities now refuse to refund my money, the excuse is that I have a credit. Meantime, I flew to ****** in February 2024 and I had to buy another ticket because VIRGIN ATLANTIC refuses to give me my money back. Priceline is using loopholes and only gave me a credit which I cannot use now in May, 2024. I will never ever again fly through Virgin Atlantic nor use Priceline and ALLIENZ their travel warranty trip protection also didn't give me my money back. Horrible experience!!Confirmation #: VIRGIN: CLRW3C, 12,8, 2023 - Sunday, December, 17th.
Business Response
Date: 05/11/2024
Hello ******
Hope I find you well.
Sorry to hear you are experiencing some difficulty getting a refund back from your travel agency. We understand how frustrating this must be.
We are very limited in what we can do when a booking is made through a travel agency as we have absolutely no control over your ticket.It is the sole responsibility of the travel agent to assist their customers directly.
I have however asked our Sales support team to reach out to Priceline and directly help you with this.
I'm sorry this experience has made you question your value as a Virgin Atlantic customer, please be assured this is never our intention.
Thanks for getting in touch with us, I hope you get a prompt resolution and have a lovely weekend.
Kind regards,
Virgin Atlantic Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:05/02/2024
Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Booking ref: E275PT On April 9 I had created an account with ********************************************* and book two tickets for friends. They suspended the account and kept the points and told me it was fraud. Basically long story short is I have wasted almost a month calling and emailing them since the fraud department seems to be just a third party system that detects fraud and not a actual human being looking through the documents they requested. They had requested for me to send in my passport/ID of my friends and mine, which I comply with. Then ask for my AMEX 1M number which I gave them. Even with two documents proving that it was me they didnt respond. I had to send a follow up email a few days ago only to get the same email about their third party system that detects fraud. Same answer of we cant reinstate you account because owing the system detects fraud. So basically the day I created the account and transfer in ******* points is the same day you guys decide to suspect fraud and just keep the points. Nice scam you guys have going on. I would like Virgin Atlantic to actually test their policy publicly because I am sure its going to just **** off people and ruin their business. Its a scam that after giving them proper documents they are telling me its fraud still. Like what policy did I break (they cant even answer this, the only thing they respond with is section 9.1/2 of their terms and agreement). Like stop giving me automatic response and scamming the consumers. I can see they have done this multiple times and hope one day the company crashes and fails due to their lack of courtesy to even bother helping the consumer.
Business Response
Date: 05/03/2024
Case Ref: VSCR-00588694

Im truly sorry to hear that your *********** account has been suspended by our Loyalty Fraud team. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be for you.

Our Loyalty operations team do not suspend *********** accounts unless they have reasonable suspicion that fraudulent activity has taken place on the account. The system they use that flags suspected fraudulent activity is not infallible and there are occasions when an account is flagged incorrectly. They system used is to protect both the airline and the customer alike.

Sadly, when an account is suspended, only our loyalty Fraud Team have the power to potentially reverse their decision. You can request more information and appeal their decision by contacting them directly at ****************************************************

Once you have emailed them, a member of their team will respond directly back to you.

I realise this may not be the answer you were hoping for today and apologise I am unable to give a more favourable outcome.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/06/2024

Complaint: 21656161

I am rejecting this response because:
You guys have been given all the info that the points came from me and my **************** card. Your answer is the same as the emails as it stases you reject me because of the loyalty fraud team. The fraud teams used a third party system and doesnt even use human to verify whether its me or not. I have email them multiple times and basically at this point you guys are the ones doing fraud. This answer you guys have given me basically is telling me to go back and email he fraud team which I have over the past month. Also the fraud team wont give me an explanation on why my account was suspended or what the fraud was. You can go back and read the emails between us or have someone review it as it seems a computer generated answer is all I am getting. I will not accept this answer from you since it seems to be the same answer I have been getting this entire month. I will be happy to talk to someone as well and get Amex representative on the phone to prove I am me and the points came from me. I dont understand how after sending in passport/ID and my Amex 1M number you guys still think Im doing fraud by wanting to spend my own points
Sincerely,

*****************
Business Response
Date: 05/14/2024
Hello *****,

Thank you ever so much for your response to our previous communications.

I am so very sorry to hear that despite providing all requested documents, you are no where closer to getting your account reinstated.

I also want to apologise that you have not been given any reasons as to why your booking and account have been suspended. As my colleague explained, our Fraud Screening Team use various software and systems which flag when there is anything suspicious with the booking. This is to protect us as a business and airline and also our customers security.

As my colleague explained, only our Loyalty Fraud team have the authorisation to be able to make decisions regarding reactivating accounts once they have been suspended. I do apologise that this is not something we are able to help with.

I understand that you have already sent over your documents to the team but have not heard anything since. In order to speed up this process for you, I have reached out to the team and have asked them to look in to this as soon as possible and to reach out to you.

I again apologise that this was not the response you were hoping for.

Kind regards,

Rhian
Customer Care
Customer Answer
Date: 05/18/2024

Complaint: 21656161

I am rejecting this response because: I do not understand how this is not a scam on your guys end. Literally over a month of emails to the fraud team but still getting the same response. Wasting my time collecting all documents and sending them in just for you guys to tell me your third party system detects fraud. I have called and email yu guys multiple times to show it is me a real human being and the owner of the points and account. I just want my points back to my Amex account so I can use it on a different airline that wont scam me. You guys cant even do that. How is this not a scam?

Sincerely,

*****************
Customer Answer
Date: 05/22/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID .********, , and find that Mediation is necessary.
Regards,
*****************
Customer Answer
Date: 05/29/2024

Complaint: 21656161

I am rejecting this response because: I still have not receive the last reach out you guys said you were going to do. Not a single email from that team was communicated to me. So far the only thing that has happen is you guys stole ****** points from my **************** card and then fail to communicate after I had sent in my information (passport and Amex membership#) showing that it was I who made the purchase. This whole thing sounds like complete fraud but on your guys end.

Sincerely,

*****************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/20/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
On march 31 I bought about 3800 usd worth of points from virgin atlantic through their loyalty points sale program. On about April 1, I used ****** points, worth about 1200usd, and purchased 2 tickets for my friends. The airline allows the purchase of tickets for friends and relatives, and this is also verified by the operator I spoke with. However, about 5 days later, I realized that the tickets have been canceled by Virgin atlantic. Upon contacting the airline, their representatives said that they detected fraudulent activity in my account, maintaining that they are unable to provide the reason and my account has to be closed. They also expressed that there is no way to reinstate my account, which would me a loss of 3800 usd. My account number is **********. It seems to me that VA made no attempts to verify the validity of their automated fraud detection system and was dismissive when I am incurring significant financial loss.
Business Response
Date: 04/21/2024
Dear ***********,

Thank you for getting in contact with us.

If you would like to discuss your *********** account further, please provide all relevant information to the following email address ****************************************************

They will be able to look at your case in full and will provide you with the outcome.

Kind Regards

**********************************?
Customer Care
*********************************************
www.virginatlantic.com
Customer Answer
Date: 04/24/2024

Complaint: 21603040

I am rejecting this response because:
I have tried to contact this email in the past and they proposed no solution and no formal investigation other than that their software detected an anomaly. After trying to reach out again and referencing the customer service representative, I received no response.

Sincerely,

*******************
Business Response
Date: 04/25/2024
Dear ***********,
Thanks for your reply.
I've spoken with the loyalty fraud team who have confirmed that they have responded to your correspondence, I'm sorry if this hasn't been received.
As previously advised, our fraud tools screen bookings and owing to a number of anomalies in your bookings, they were rejected.
The bookings made were for third parties, if you're able to provide evidence of relationship to the passengers travelling on the bookings, such as birth certificates if they are family members, then we can look into this further. We would also need photo ID and proof of address for yourself. This information can be sent to ****************************************************.

Kind regards,
*****
Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:04/18/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hi, I booked a reward ticket with Virgin Atlantic's loyalty program online. it cost me ***** Virgin points and about $270 in taxes and fees. I made the booking on April 10, and the flight was for Thursday April 11, going from LHR to ***, The booking reference is E2L8JF.When I arrived to **************** for my flight, I was told at the desk that my ticket has been canceled due to fraud or a breach of the loyalty program T&C, I was very upset but returned home, and took a flight with a different carrier on the following Sunday.I reached out by email to Virgin Atlantic by email, asking for an explanation and a refund, but while they have issued a refund to the credit card for the paid taxes and fees, they refuse to refund the points, and they also completely locked my Virgin Atlantic flying club account, they also refuse to explain to me (probably for security reasons) how I breached their terms and conditions.I did nothing wrong while booking the ticket, I used my own flying club account, I did have a friend transfer from his account to mine a portion of the points, as I didn't have enough of my own, but that was done with a feature on the airlines website, in full accordance of their terms and conditions.I would like BBB to help me get my account reinstated, my points refunded, and if possible some compensation.Thank you.
Business Response
Date: 04/19/2024
Hello ****
I hope youre well.
I have taken a further look into your query. If I *** explain, the booking was cancelled due to suspected fraud. Our team have a duty to carry out fraud checks diligently. We remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and preventing any potential instances of fraud.

As per our policy, we wont send a notification if a booking is cancelled, and I deeply regret any inconvenience caused. As our conditions of carriage states
We *** refuse to issue Miles or process Reward redemptions if we reasonably believe there has been fraud, breach or failure to fulfil any of these *********** Terms or other current restrictions or requirements which have been made available to you.

If you breach any of the *********** Terms or other requirements contained on our website *** result in denial of travel and/or redemption of Rewards and cancellation of all Miles, Rewards, and termination of Programme membership. For more information, please click on the link below.

*********** Fraud | Virgin Atlantic

A refund has been actioned and credited. Sadly, we would not be in a position to reactivate your account at this current time and would not offer any compensation or provide any gestures as our conditions of carriage were breached. Im sorry for any further disappointment caused.
Im sorry were unable to offer a more favourable response at this time.
Kind Regards
Customer Care
*********************************************.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/13/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I can see from our records that your flight was booked on the 7th of March *****, I do apologise that the agent made an error when charging you the $50 change fee. Our refunds team are currently experiencing a high volume of transactions and therefore the waiting period is a lot longer. Therefore I have set this up as a bank transfer and sent this to your email directly. Your case reference is VSCR-00578125.This is last case response on Mar.22.2024. I haven't receive refund yet.
Business Response
Date: 04/14/2024
Thanks for getting in touch. I hope youre keeping well.

I have taken a further look into your query. I can see we have sent a payment link to your email address on the 22nd of March, I can see we are still awaiting your bank details.

The payment link was sent within case reference VSCR-********. If you pop this into your email search bar you should find the email. Please follow the link provided an input your bank details. This will then be passed to our payments team to make the payment due to you.
Thanks so much in advance.
Kind Regards
Customer Care
*********************************************
Initial Complaint
Date:04/09/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Virgin double billed me for the same flight. When I told them about it, they emailed me that it would take 7 to 14 days to credit. I have emailed three times, talked to two people who said it would be credited and to date nothing has happened. The original booking was on 3/18. They charged me twice for the same booking. It is now almost three weeks, 3 emails and 3 phone calls later where promises keep being made and still no credit for their original mistake.
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2024
Hello ***
I hope youre well and having a great day.

Im so sorry to hear you were charged twice for your recent booking and are yet to be refunded. I do not underestimate your frustrations and disappointment. I hope to help as much as I can for you.

In order for me to take a further look into your query, could I kindly request your Virgin Atlantic booking reference.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards
Customer Care
*********************************************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/10/2024
this is the flight reference: D54AWE

and this is the reference number they gave me on 3/25
Our Reference: 99398752

Business Response
Date: 04/12/2024
Hello ***
Thank you for getting in contact with Virgin Atlantic.
I am truly sorry to hear that you are still waiting for your refund to be processed.
Our refund department are extremely busy due to the unfortunate decision we have taken to suspend our ******** route and unfortunately this has created a backlog on multiple requests and caused a delay. We are currently advising that refunds will be refunded within ***** working days.
After a review, I can see your refund request has been raised with our refund management team and there has been recent activity on your case.
Please be assured that the funds will be returned to you very soon.
I would like to thank you for your patience and understanding.
Kind regards,
***********************?
Customer Care
*********************************************
www.virginatlantic.com
Customer Answer
Date: 04/12/2024

Complaint: 21554022

I am rejecting this response because: I have been told several different stories. Each one is different - from 7 to 10 working says, to its going to be done this week. now this last one up to 28 days which I presume is 28 working days. I am 82 and this is very stressful, plus I am paying interest to AMex for Virgin's mistake. This was a double booking by Virgin so it should have been reversed immediately.
Sincerely,

*********************
Business Response
Date: 04/13/2024
Thank you for you further contact with Virgin Atlantic.

I can only echo my apologies for the delay in not receiving your refund.

Please be assured that your refund is with us and is in a queue to be processed. I am sorry to hear that you were miss advised the current timeframe for your refund.

I appreciate your frustration and I do hope that you will accept my apologies for this as my colleague ****** has advised are refunds team are processing refunds up to 28 working days.

I can see that your refund was requested on the 25th of March if after this time you have not received your refund, please let us know.

Once again thank you for your patience.

Kind regards,
*********************************;

Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I open a member account to ******************************************************* flying club.I transfer ****** amex point to the account and book the flying ticket for my family and friends.but they close my account and not refund the ****** point for the reason I resell the ticket.I contact them and they can not active my account and also no refund on my un use point.my account number is ********** and name on *************.
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello Zhe
Thank you for getting in contact with Virgin Atlantic ************* department.
I am sorry to hear that your booking has been cancelled due to fraud.

I am afraid if you wish to discuss your *********** account, the best team to contact is our fraud department on the following email address - ****************************************************.

If I could please direct, you to the link provided below to view our *********** terms and conditions.

******************************************************************************************************************

I apologise for any inconvenience caused.
***********************?
*************
*********************************************
www.virginatlantic.com
Customer Answer
Date: 04/05/2024

Complaint: 21528094

I am rejecting this response because: I have contact the Loyalty Fraud Team but they do not solve the problem.
I'm asking higher department to look into this case. and refund my points and account .

Sincerely,

*************
Business Response
Date: 04/06/2024
Thank you for getting back in touch with us.

Im really sorry that you feel disappointed with the outcome of your case. The matter has been escalated to the relevant department. I am afraid that their decision is final.

If you would like to appeal your case, you will need to contact **************************************************** with any supporting information.

Kind Regards
Lorika
Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2024
Type:Product Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a ticket. Confirmation code CRKM4R.I was not able to use it as I have a medical emergency.I spoke with agent at Virgin and was told that if I got doctor's note that I would get refund.I got the doctor note and the agent said I would get refund. refund number ******** Did not get refund and called Virgin today.I was told that I was not eligible for refund and they closed out ticket.I was lied to by the agent. Call was recorded. I am *********** my money back.
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Dear ****
Thanks for contacting the Better Business Bureau. I hope youre having a great week.

I was sorry to hear that you were given some misleading information regarding your refund. I can appreciate how disappointing it must have been for you when you received less than you were expecting. I hope you can accept my sincere apologies for any disappointment caused.

Ive taken the time to look into the history of your case and will give a detailed breakdown of what *** found.

On March 13th, you called our customer services team. I listened back to this call to see what was advised for clarification. You stated that you werent able to travel on your booked ticket due to upcoming dental surgery. The agent explained that your ticket was non-refundable, and if you were to cancel, you would only receive refundable taxes. You were advised that the refundable amount couldnt be given as this would need to be calculated by the refunds team. The agent explained that under our policy, you could receive a full refund if you were able to provide a certified medical document, explaining that you arent able to travel before the end of your ticket validity, January 2025. You asked for your other options, and you were told that you could make a change without a change fee and just pay the additional fare.

You gave the agent new travel dates in November/ December and were quoted a total of $64.80 for the change. You accepted and agreed to go ahead with the date change and were advised to send in the medical document for the change fee to the cc.documents email address.

On 19th March, you sent an email requesting to cancel your ticket and attached a document from your dentist explaining that you were having surgery and due to potential complications, you shouldnt travel between March 30th and April 30th 2024. As this inbox is not monitored, your request wasnt picked up by our team.

On 25th March, you called customer services for an update on your request. At the beginning of the call, you explained that you were told your ticket was non-refundable and you needed to send in a medical document. The agent apologised and explained that after documentation is sent to the shared inbox, you would need to call us immediately to process the request. The agent located your letter and went ahead and requested a refund for you. You asked how much would be refunded and the agent said you paid $3004.20 and it would be refunded back to your original card used ending in 9147.

I can completely understand the frustration caused by the delay in the response and the misleading advice given by the second agent, however, as your letter does not state that youre unable to travel during the validity of the ticket, and you requested a refund on March 19th after you had been advised on March 13th that your ticket was non-refundable, there is no further refund due.

I know this is not the response you were hoping for but we must remain fair and consistent with all of our customers when It comes to the ticket rules. We take all customer feedback seriously and I can assure you that your comments will be fed back to the relevant teams so that the information given by our customer services team is always clear and transparent.

I would suggest reaching out to your travel insurance provider as their liability often far exceeds ours as the airline.

Once again, Im sorry for your poor experience. I hope well get the chance to welcome you onboard in the future as it would be our pleasure.

Kind regards,
*****
Customer Care
Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024

Complaint: 21525355

I am rejecting this response because:

Sincerely,

***************************
Business Response
Date: 04/05/2024
Hello ****,

Thank you for your time in coming back to Virgin Atlantic Customer Care.

I'm sorry to hear that you are disappointed with my colleague *****'s response, this was not her intentions.

I've reviewed your case further, I checked you booking and can see that the booking was made online, during the process of purchasing the ticket online there is a pop up that gives you the option to read the fare rules of the ticket being purchased.

The ticket purchased was a non-refundable ticket, under our too ill to travel policy to be *********** as you were not hospitalised you would only be *********** extend the validity of the ticket for up to 90 days.

As soon as you are then fit to fly the ticket must be flown within the 90 day

I can see that there is a refund request that is currently being processed, the medical documentation is attached to the request, the refunds team will review and come back to you with a formal response in regards to the refund as although you are not *********** a full refund you would be *********** a refund of the taxes paid.

I'm sorry that this is not the response you were expecting, I do hope we will have the opportunity in welcoming you on board Virgin Atlantic in the future.

Kind regards,

*************************?
Customer Care
Initial Complaint
Date:04/03/2024
Type:Service or Repair Issues
Status:
AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
Resolved:
The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
Unresolved:
The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
Answered:
The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
Unanswered:
The business failed to respond to the dispute.
Unpursuable:
BBB is unable to locate the business.
Hello, I used my points to redeem two ***-*** tickets for my family. The airline said it was a fraud and cancelled my ticket, but I have explained to them that the passenger is my friend, and I can provide any information you need to prove that we are friends. They cancelled my account without giving me any chance to explain. I still have ******* points in my account that I haven't used yet.Thank you
Business Response
Date: 04/04/2024
Hello Liying

Thank you for getting in contact with Virgin Atlantic.

I hope you are well.

I am sorry to hear that the booking that you made for your friend has been cancelled.

In order for me to investigate further please can you provide your *********** account and the booking reference.

I look forward to hearing back form you very soon.
***********************?
Customer Care
*********************************************
www.virginatlantic.com

Customer Answer
Date: 04/04/2024
The account number is ******************* reference number is CR84R9
Business Response
Date: 04/09/2024
Hello ***********************
I hope you're having a wonderful day today.
I'm so sorry to hear your booking and *********** account have been suspended. Unfortunately, I'm unable to override the decision made by our Loyalty team.
Please reach out to our loyalty team on ****************************************************.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your day today.

Kind Regards
Ffion
Customer Care Advisor

******************************************************************** Ltd
The VHQ, ******************
*******
RH10 9DF, **
***********************************************************
Customer Answer
Date: 04/09/2024
Yes..I did the email to you loyalty team .but I told them I can provide any information you need to prove my friend but they sent me this email without any explanation(.Unfortunately, we are unable to verify the account details and therefore we will be unable to reinstate the *********** account. I understand that you wish to take matters further and instruct your legal team.
In the interests of both parties, we await to hear from your legal representative and will look to refer the matter to arbitration which may include but not limited to better business bureaux and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).)
Business Response
Date: 04/10/2024
Hello Liying

Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with the Better Business Bureau. I do hope my reply finds you well.

I am deeply sorry to hear of the upset that has been caused to you due to the cancellation of your friends booking and your *********** account being suspended. I can appreciate how frustrating this must be for you, especially as you have worked so hard to earn a lot of points.

I have taken some time to look in to this for you and can see that you have already spoken with our *********** Support Team. As they have advised, you will need to reach out to the Loyalty Fraud Team directly at **************************************************** to discuss this further and provide any proofs. Sadly, the decision to overturn the account suspension is not something we are able to look in to and any further discussions around this must be directed to the Loyalty Fraud Team.

I apologise that this is not something I was able to assist you with.

Kind regards,

Rhian
Customer Care

BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this business, please let the business know that you contacted BBB for a BBB Business Profile.

As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.

Cookies on BBB.org

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

If you've experienced an issue

Filter and sort by

Sort by

Complaint status

Complaint type

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Customer Answer

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Complaint statuses

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Customer Answer

Business Response

Virgin Atlantic Airways, Ltd. is BBB Accredited.